reading time ~15 mins
- Wealth – Al-Māl (ٱلْمَال)
- Richness – Ghināʾ (غِنَى)
- Summary
- Wealth in Quran
- Wealth in Sunnah
- The blessings of Allah to be seen
- The best Wealth
- Wealth is a Test for the Ummah
- Akhira should be the Primary concern
- True earnings are Acts of Charity
- Wealth is asked about in the Hereafter
- Wealth is Richness of the Soul
- The Zuhd (detachment) of the Prophet (ﷺ)
- Giving is better
- If you seek Independence, it will be given
- Honor is in being Independent of others
- Greed and Competition
- Love of Wealth is Harmful
- Additional Reading
Wealth – Al-Māl (ٱلْمَال)
The word “Al-Māl” (ٱلْمَال) literally means money, property, or possessions. It comes from the triliteral root م-و-ل (m-w-l), which forms the foundation for many Arabic words related to wealth, ownership, transformation, and affiliation
The root م-و-ل often conveys meanings of possession, inclination, or turning, reflecting how wealth is something people seek, lean toward, or accumulate.
Richness – Ghināʾ (غِنَى)
The word “Ghināʾ” (غِنَى) is closely related to “Ghani” (غني) — both come from the same Arabic root: غ-ن-ي (gh-n-y). Ghināʾ is a noun that refers to the state or quality of being “ghani” — that is, rich, self-sufficient, or free of need
The root غ-ن-ي (gh-n-y) generally conveys meanings such as richness, freedom from need, self-sufficiency, and independence
Allah says in the Quran
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ
O mankind, you are those in need of Allāh, while Allāh is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.
Quran 35:15
Summary
In Islam, wealth is seen as a blessing and a responsibility—not the ultimate purpose of life. A believer is encouraged to earn and use wealth in ethical, generous, and purposeful ways, without becoming attached to materialism or luxury. Islam rejects both excessive indulgence and extreme asceticism, promoting instead a middle path of balance, gratitude, and contribution
Here you can learn more about the Islamic paradigm on Purpose of Life
Wealth in Quran
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope.
Quran 18:46
Quran 63:9-10
O believers! Do not let your wealth or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. For whoever does so, it is they who are the ˹true˺ losers. And donate from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you, and you cry, “My Lord! If only You delayed me for a short while, I would give in charity and be one of the righteous.”
Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual boasting, and competition in wealth and children.
Quran 57:20
Competition for more ˹gains˺ diverts you ˹from Allah˺, until you end up in ˹your˺ graves.
Quran 102:1-2
So let neither their wealth nor children impress you ˹O Prophet˺. Allah only intends to torment them through these things in this worldly life, then their souls will depart while they are disbelievers.
Quran 9:55
And let neither their wealth nor children impress you ˹O Prophet˺. Allah only intends to torment them through these things in this world, and ˹then˺ their souls will depart while they are disbelievers.
Quran 9:85
Woe to every backbiter, slanderer, who amasses wealth ˹greedily˺ and counts it ˹repeatedly˺, thinking that their wealth will make them immortal!
Quran 104:1-3
Wealth in Sunnah
The blessings of Allah to be seen
Malik ibn Nadlah reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If Allah has given you wealth, let the traces of his blessings and generosity be seen upon you.”
Abi Dawud 4063 (abi Dawud 4063 abuaminalias) Sahih according to Al-Albani
The best Wealth
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The best wealth is a tongue that remembers Allah, a grateful heart, and a believing wife to help one in his faith.”
Tirmidhi 3094 (Tirmidhi 3094 abuaminaelias) Hasan
Wealth is a Test for the Ummah
Ka’b ibn ‘Iyad reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Verily, every nation has a trial, and the trial of my nation is wealth.”
Tirmidhi 2336 Sahih according to Al-Albani
Akhira should be the Primary concern
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whoever is concerned about the Hereafter, Allah will place richness in his heart, bring his affairs together, and the world will inevitably come to him. Whoever is concerned about the world, Allah will place poverty between his eyes, disorder his affairs, and he will get nothing of the world but what is decreed for him.”
Tirmidhi 2465 (Tirmidhi 2465 abuaminaelias) Sahih according to Al-Albani
True earnings are Acts of Charity
Abu Mutarrif reported: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was reciting the verse, “Competition for wealth diverts you,” (102:1). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The son of Adam boasts: My wealth! My wealth! O son of Adam, have you truly earned any wealth but what you ate and consumed, or clothes put on and wore out, or spent in charity so it remained?”
Muslim 2958 (Muslim 2958 abuaminaelias)
Wealth is asked about in the Hereafter
Abu Dharr reported: I arrived at the Prophet (ﷺ) who was sitting in the shade of the Ka’bah and saying, “They have the greatest loss, by the Lord of the Ka’bah, they have the greatest loss, by the Lord of the Ka’bah.” I said, “Who are they? May my mother and father be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah!” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The greatest in wealth, except for those who spend like this, or this, or this.” (i.e., spends of his wealth in Allah’s Cause)
Bukhari 6638 (Bukari 6638 abuaminaelias)
Abu Barzah reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The feet of a servant will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about his lifetime and how he used it, his knowledge and how he acted upon it, his wealth and from where he acquired it and how he spent it, and his body and how he exhausted it.”
Tirmidhi 2417 (Tirmidhi 2417 abuaminaelias) Sahih according to Al-Tirmidhi
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The poor Muslims will enter Paradise before the rich by half of a day, the length of which is like five hundred years.”
Tirmidhi 2354 (Tirmidhi 2354 abuaminaelias) Sahih according to Al-Albani
Wealth is Richness of the Soul
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Wealth is not in having many possessions. Rather, true wealth is the richness of the soul.”
Bukhari 6446 Muslim 1051 (Bukhari 6446 Muslim 1051 abuaminaelias)
Note: In Arabic, the word Ghina (being free of need) is used for Richness
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Richness does not exist outwardly. Verily, true richness is the richness of the soul. If Allah wills goodness for a servant, He places richness in his soul and righteousness in his heart. If Allah wills harm for a servant, He places poverty between his eyes.”
Sahih Ibn Hibbān 3055 Hasan according to Al-Albani
Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “O Abu Dharr, do you say an abundance of possessions is wealth?” I said yes. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Do you say a lack of possessions is poverty?” I said yes. The Prophet (ﷺ) repeated this three times, then he said, “Wealth is in the heart and poverty is in the heart. Whoever is wealthy in his heart will not be harmed no matter what happens in the world. Whoever is impoverished in his heart will not be satisfied no matter how much he has in the world. Verily, he will only be harmed by the greed of his own soul.”
al-Mu’jam al-Kabir 2/154 Sahih according to Al-Albani
The Zuhd (detachment) of the Prophet (ﷺ)
Abu Umamah reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “My Lord presented me with the valley of Mecca that He might turn it into gold for me. I said: No, O Lord, rather I will be satiated some days and hungry some days. When I am hungry, I will humble myself before You and remember You. When I am satiated, I will be grateful to You and praise You.”
al-Tirmidhi 2347 (al-Tirmidhi 2347 abuaminaelias) Hasan according to Al-Tirmidhi
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: O Allah, make the provision of Muhammad’s family sufficient just to sustain life.
Narrated `Aisha: that she said to `Urwa, “O, the son of my sister! We used to see three crescents in two months, and no fire used to be made in the houses of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (i.e. nothing used to be cooked).” `Urwa said, “What used to sustain you?” `Aisha said, “The two black things i.e. dates and water, except that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had neighbors from the Ansar who had some milch she-camels, and they used to give the Prophet (ﷺ) some milk from their house, and he used to make us drink it.”
Ibn Abbas reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “O Messenger of Allah, call upon Allah to send abundance upon your nation, for the Persians and Romans enjoy abundance and have been given the world, yet they do not worship Allah as they recline on their couches!” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Are you in doubt, O Umar ibn al-Khattab? These people have only been given their pleasure in the life of this world.” Umar said, “O Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.”
Bukhari 2468 Muslim 1479a (Bukhari 2468 Muslim 1479 abuaminaelias)
Giving is better
Narrated Ibn `Umar: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) while he was on the pulpit speaking about charity, to abstain from asking others for some financial help and about begging others, saying, “The upper hand is better than the lower hand. The upper hand is that of the giver and the lower (hand) is that of the beggar.“
If you seek Independence, it will be given
Hakim ibn Hizam reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The upper hand is better than the lower hand. Begin by giving to your dependents. The best charity is given by the rich. Whoever seeks to abstain from begging, Allah will make him abstain. Whoever seeks to be independent of others, Allah will make him independent.”
Bukhari 1427, 1428 (Bukhari 1427 abuaminaelias) – see similar hadith an-Nasai 2595 (an-Nasai 2595 abuaminaelias) Sahih according to Al-Albani
Honor is in being Independent of others
Sahl ibn Sa’d reported: The Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said, “O Muhammad, live as you wish, for you will surely die. Work as you wish, for you will surely be repaid. Love whomever you wish, for you will surely be separated. Know that the nobility of the believer is in prayer at night, and his honor is in his independence of people.”
al-Muʻjam al-Awsaṭ lil-Ṭabarani 4278 Hasan according to Al-Albani
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The nobility of a believer is in his prayer at night, and his honor is in his independence from what belongs to people.”
Fawāʼid Tammām 1104 Hasan according to Al-Albani
Greed and Competition
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “I do not fear poverty for you, rather I fear that you will compete for riches. I do not fear for your mistakes, rather I fear for what you do on purpose.”
Musnad Ahmad 10958 Sahih according to Al-Arna’ut
Abu Waqid reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah said: Verily, We have sent down wealth for the performance of prayer and offering charity. If the son of Adam owned a valley, he would like to have a second. If he had two valleys, he would like to add a third. Nothing satisfies the belly of the son of Adam but the dust of the grave, yet Allah will relent to whoever repents.”
Shu’ab al-Imān lil-Bayhaqī 9800 Sahih according to Al-Albani
Love of Wealth is Harmful
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said “Two wolves free among sheep are no more destructive to them than a man’s desire for wealth and honor is to his religion.“
Tirmidhi 2376 Sahih according to Al-Albani – similar narration see Musnad al-Bazzar 6192 Sahih according to Al-Albani
Additional Reading
Meta Tags
- Understanding Wealth in Islam: Concepts and Teachings
- Wealth in the Quran and Sunnah: A Guide
- The Ethics of Wealth in Islam: Balancing Richness and Responsibility
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